IMAGE: This shows Vasco Portugal with the prototype for the built-in sidewalk charger the MIT Media Lab.
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Credit: Vasco Portugal

The exhibition Wheels + Legs results from a shared commitment to disruptive technologies created at the interface of traditional disciplines under the motto "The only limitations are physical law and the boundaries of our collective imaginations". Within this context the innovative prototype developed by Vasco Portugal and Jason Gao was selected to be featured at this exhibition. The prototype is a charger for the electric cars that was designed to be embedded in the sidewalk, a weatherproof system incorporated in the pavement, creating a smart parking lot that discreetly charges the electric vehicle while it is parked. The device uses conduction to transfer power between a charging pad in the sidewalk and a receiver in the front or back of the car. Underlying is the idea that the user simply as to parks the CityCar directly in touch with a pad in the pavement to begin charging, rather than having to connect a power cable manually.

Although the prototype has been deigned with the MIT CityCar in mind, the technology can be applied to the charging of any given Electric vehicle (EV). This innovation would allow for the much more widespread and effective use of current EVs by facilitating the deployment within the city and constant charging whenever the vehicle is parked.

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